Chelsea could be willing to 'take a gamble' on Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia ahead of a potential deal, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lavia an exciting talent

The 18-year-old has caught the eye for Saints recently, standing out as one of the most exciting young players at the club following his £14m summer move from Manchester City.

Lavia has already started five Premier League matches this season, ironically scoring against Chelsea last month, not to mention being described as an 'outstanding' young player by Goal journalist Jonathan Smith.

However, despite only arriving at St Mary's over the summer, there is already speculation over the teenager's next move in his fledgling career.

The Latest: Chelsea eye up Lavia move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Chelsea had been willing to pay over the odds to sign Lavia, backing recent reports from Fabrizio Romano, and refused to rule out the possibility of the Premier League giants trying their luck with Southampton again for the youngster.

The journalist stated:

"They’ve obviously seen something they like. They were willing to massively overpay for him and take a gamble that he is the real deal.

"We’ll see if he stays on their radar for the next window."

The Verdict: Big loss for Saints

Losing Lavia so soon would be a huge blow for Southampton, considering how much long-term promise he has as a player, enjoying an 88.4% pass completion rate in the league this season, the best of anyone to start more than one league match for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side in 2022/23.

The lure of joining Chelsea could be too much to resist, though, given their London location and their status as one of the biggest clubs in the country and Champions League participants, especially with the Graham Potter era about to get underway.

Hopefully Lavia will remain with Saints for another while yet, continuing to grow into a genuinely formidable midfielder.